Phased array antenna panels are used to generate steerable beams that may be utilized in wireless communication systems. Phased arrays create a focused beam that can be steered very quickly to maintain a link for any on-the-move communication system. Conventional wireless communications systems can also utilize steerable beams to communicate with multiple wireless nodes by moving the beams from one wireless node to the next. A single beam may service multiple wireless nodes in a sequence and repeat the sequence periodically such that each wireless node appears to be in constant communications with the system. The beam steering is generally implemented by sending new settings to be loaded into appropriate circuitry of the phased array panels to adjust the beam(s). It is important to ensure that the new settings are loaded into the appropriate circuitry of the appropriate phased array panel to maintain a specified quality of service.
To control phase and gain of multiple antenna elements, digital communication protocols—such as serial peripheral interface (SPI), inter-integrated circuit communications (I2C), Serial Interface, etc.—are used where multiple elements (chips) are all connected to the same digital buses. To communicate with the multiple chips, conventional systems use a one-at-a-time timing scheme to configure the multiple units. In order to select which unit (chip) is active in conventional systems, each chip has a unique (dedicated) Chip Select (CS) pin. Because multiple chips require connections to multiple CS pins, conventional systems require complex boards and panel area.
It would be desirable to implement a hard-wired address for phased array antenna panels.